Daily Health Post

5 Natural Spices That Fight High Blood Pressure

by Amy MorrisJanuary 2, 2014

There are many combined reasons why a person can develop high blood pressure, and not one specific identifiable cause. The most common factors for going on to develop high blood pressure comes from a mixture of stress, being overweight, not exercising enough, smoking and drinking alcohol.

On top of this a family history of high blood pressure can also increase a person’s chances of developing high blood pressure at some point in their lives.

High Blood Pressure – The Silent & Deadly Killer

Simply ignoring high blood pressure will not resolve the issue, as it could turn into something worse like a stroke, kidney disease or a heart attack. High blood pressure is not really classed as a disease, hence why there are often no symptoms of high blood pressure, and sometimes the first sign that a person has high blood pressure is when they are diagnosed with kidney disease for instance.

Treating High Blood Pressure Drug-Free

Most conventional doctors will treat your high blood pressure with medications that can often cause other unwanted side effects. So although herbs and spices may still be seen in some doctors eyes as a skeptical form of treatment, there is much anecdotal evidence and scientific evidence to back up the use of certain spices when patients are looking for a more natural and gentler way to treat their high blood pressure.

Below are a handful of spices that have been proven to lower blood pressure naturally.

1. Garlic – Researchers who carried out a study in 1993 found that the participants in this study who had high blood pressure and were in the group taking a large dose of a garlic preparation, were able to conclude that the garlic preparation had reduced their blood pressure, as well as no significant side effects being reported also. This particular study was published in the journal Pharmacotherapy in 1993.

2. Cardamom – A study published in the Indian Journal of Biochemistry and Biophysics in 2009 noted that the 20 newly diagnosed test patients with primary hypertension that they recruited for their study, that were given 3g of cardamom powder had effectively reduced blood pressure levels. Plus all participants from this test group reported that they felt feelings of well-being with no side effects.

3. Onions – Quercetin, an antioxidant flavonol found in onions, was found to reduce blood pressure in patients that were hypertensive according to a study published in the Journal of Nutrition in 2007, when compared with the test group participants given the placebo only.

4. Turmeric – A study published in the Journal of Renal Nutrition found that oral supplementation of the spice turmeric helped to lower systolic blood pressure in patients suffering from relapsing or refractory lupus nephritis. The study split the participants into two groups, with one group receiving a placebo pill that was identical in colour and size, and the other group was given 500 mg of turmeric of which 22.1 mg was the active curcumin ingredient. The control group took 3 placebo pills a day, 1 with each meal. Whilst the other group receiving the actual turmeric took 1 capsule a day, both took them for 3 months.

5. Cinnamon – A randomized human test study involving 58 people living with type 2 diabetes and high blood pressure has found that 2 g of cinnamon daily reduced high blood pressure levels as well as HbA1c levels which is a measurement of blood sugar levels over time.

Not taking positive steps to reduce your high blood pressure levels can mean you are at an increased risk of many serious diseases. So with many natural options available to you in the form of a simple spice that you can easily take with food, why not start experimenting with those above and start noting down any improvements in your blood pressure readings for future reference between you and your health care provider.

If you are already taking blood pressure lowering medication then do talk with your naturopathic doctor or medical doctor first to ensure there are no contraindications of mixing the two, as you do not wish to make your blood pressure fall into the too low range as this can be just as dangerous as high blood pressure.

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